


El Tango de Mettaton

by Ghost_Senpai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Burlesque AU, Drunk Sans, M/M, Prostitution, Tragic Love Story, get the tissues ready
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-09-23 11:12:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9653765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghost_Senpai/pseuds/Ghost_Senpai
Summary: "Oh wow. You really thought this was just a bar? A cabaret? No no, this is a whorehouse my friend." Sans grinned widely at his brother's shocked reaction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically an Underfell AU with elements of Moulin Rouge (not gonna lie, that movie is what inspired this). All the character designs will resemble the underfell ones except for Mettaton, he will have a more "human" look (normal set of eyes/arms and no soul chamber + other things I'll surely mention in the fic itself).

 

 

It was warmer inside the building. The smell of cigarette smoke was something he could live without, but at least the warmth that surrounded his being was comforting. He walked forward, one goal in mind, ignoring the pointed looks he got from other patrons as he headed towards the bar, surely his brother would be there drowning himself in what little money he had left. Papyrus was not a regular by all means at Grillby's, in fact this had been only the second time he set food inside the establishment, the first time being tricked into entering by his older brother Sans. Once he had noticed the heavily drunk monsters and half naked hosts, he decided that this wasn't his type of crowd and never returned. Until now.

Heavy boots pounded on the wooden floors as he finally found his target, drunkenly hunched over the bar, and made haste towards it. The sound of heavy chains that hung from his belt and boots contrasted nicely with the music that bounced joyfully against the walls. He grabbed a fistful of his brother's leather jacket and roughly shook him. "Sans! You useless heap of bones! Get up!"

Said skeleton shrugged off Papyrus' arm with an annoyed look, the sound of his brother's voice penetrating his skull like nails. "Pipe down, asshole! I'm up!" His voice sounded rough and raspy, no doubt a result from his many nights of drinking and smoking.

"You took my half of the share!" Papyrus shoved his brother, almost causing him to fall off the stool he was on. "Just so you could spend it in this filth of a place?! I should just kill you now and end your miserable life!" He threatened.

Sans didn't for once take his brother's threat seriously and chuckled, grabbing the neglected glass of whiskey that was in front of him. "I think I deserved it, if it wasn't for me we would've never pulled off that job." He took a swig from his glass, groaning in satisfaction when he felt the alcohol burn his insides and slammed the bottom of the glass on the counter, signaling the bartender to bring him another one.

"You WILL pay me back! Every last cent! You hear me?!" He shoved his brother again, but this time he was met with more resistance since the older brother was more awake, not to mention his bulky form. "Including the fee I had to pay to get in here in the first place!" He scoffed in disbelief. "Outrageous, this place is hardly worth any amount of money", he mumbled as he looked around the dimly lit room. The bar was directly across from a stage of sorts, with only a few tables and chairs standing between the two, a few patrons drinking to their heart's contempt as beautiful monsters of all shapes poured more alcohol in their glasses. "Disgusting... ", Papyrus hatefully spat out.

He was about to turn again to his brother when the lights went out, the only source of light being at the stage. The patrons drunkenly cheered and the music changed to a softer and slower pace. Papyrus directed all his attention to the stage as a figure emerged from the curtains, slow and deliberate, basking in the catcalls and low whistles from the crowd. 'Beautiful' is the only word Papyrus' brain provided him. The stage lights perfectly captured every edge and curve of the beautiful burlesque dancer, bashfully batting his eyelashes at the crowd while his hips told the much more different story that the dancer was anything but bashful. Papyrus was entranced with each movement of his arms and legs, such beautiful skin, absolutely glistening in the light. And the stranger's face, the only thing Papyrus could compare it to was of that of an angel's. Plump lips, seductively spread into a devious smile, showing pearly whites beneath. High cheeks tinted rose and perfectly highlighted. Lust filled hooded eyes that winked at the audience. Black hair, swaying and bouncing with each movement, every now and then casually slipping onto his face and covering the right eye, painting the dancer even more erotically than the skeleton thought possible. Papyrus never believed in love at first sight, he might've not even believed in love at all, but this, this stranger that had captivated him had made him feel things he never knew he was capable of.

Then the clothes started coming off, each piece slowly being pulled off in a teasing manner, garments carefully hitting the stage floor until the dancer was in nothing more than a tightly fitting corset around his waist and an intentionally small piece of undergarment covering the lower regions but failing to properly accommodate the dancer's perfectly round bottom. Papyrus swallowed hard as he allowed himself to take in more of the stranger's almost bare body. A flat uncovered male chest and wide feminine hips. 'What sort of beautiful monster is this?' He asked himself internally. Then he noticed joints at the knees and elbows and it all made sense. Of course this perfect work of art couldn't have possibly been made organically. Still... it didn't matter to him.

The music came to a halt and Papyrus snapped out of his haze as the dancer bowed and retreated backstage, past the velvet red stage curtains. The room seemed to light up again slightly and the upbeat music played again, as if nothing had happened. He let out a breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding in as he muttered the word 'beautiful'. However his brother must've heard him because he turned to him with an arch on his brow bone.

"Who? Mettaton?" Sans pointed with his thumb to the now empty stage. "He's 'aight... "

'Mettaton'. So that was the beautiful creature's name. He repeated the name over and over in his head, ingraining it into his skull as he remembered every fluent move from the dancer vividly.

"Fucks like a pro though", Sans added.

Papyrus frowned deeply and snapped his skull towards his brother. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean he's the most expensive whore for a reason." Sans replied.

Papyrus grabbed a handful of Sans' leather jacket and lifted him with both arms despite Sans' heaviness. "Don't you ever say that about him!!"

Sans shot a confused look at his brother's sudden outrage and threw his hands up to show that he didn't want to start a fight. "Woah, what? That he's a whore?" He noticed Papyrus' expression grow more sour and Sans broke out laughing, which only served to anger his younger brother even more. Papyrus dropped him, intentionally missing the stool and letting Sans fall on the floor. However Sans was too busy laughing his lungs out to be mad about being dropped like that. "Oh wow", he ran his hand through his skull as he tried to regain his breath. "You really thought this was just a bar? A cabaret? No no, this is a whorehouse my friend." Sans grinned widely at his brother's shocked reaction.

Sure, Papyrus was aware that this particular part of town wasn't known for its prestige and high standards, but he didn't put effort into knowing each shady business that every establishment dealt with. However, the more he looked around, the more that he realized how he should've put two and two together. The hosts and hostesses clinging onto their patrons, hands wandering and seductive words being whispered into ears. It was a brothel disguised as a cabaret. His brow bone furrowed at the realization and spoke up softly, slightly embarrassed of his naiveness. "So... the dancer... Mettaton, he's... "

"Yep, a whore", Sans grunted as he lifted himself from the ground, hands grasping at the bar for support, his drunken mind not ready for him to be up on his feet.

"And... you... " Papyrus gestured vaguely with his hands.

Sans sat back on the stool and looked at his brother in confusion trying to decipher what he was insinuating. "Oh! Yeah, I tapped that", he said smugly and slightly proud. "Wasn't cheap though."

Papyrus frowned and looked away from his brother, feeling slightly defeated as his thoughts about the beautiful dancer were tainted and destroyed.

Sans seemed to notice and roughly patted his brother's back. "Hey... have a drink with me, it'll help you get your mind off it."

The taller skeleton shook his skull, rejecting his brother's invitation and causing Sans to sigh. Despite their rocky relationship and constant fighting, they were still brother's and deeply cared for each other, even if neither of them would ever voice it. Still, Sans hated seeing his brother so down even if he didn't understand it. He reached into his pocket and took out all of his money, setting it on the counter. "That's your share and mine, I have a tab here so it's fine. Go get an appointment with Mettaton, this should cover the cost for one night."

Papyrus eyed the money on the counter and shot a confused yet slightly concerned look at his brother. "Why?"

Sans spun in his stool, facing the bar and picking his glass of whiskey. "Cause I don't want you on my case alright? You get even more annoying when you're all bummed out and then take it out on me. So just go and meet your new idol so you can realize that it's not that big of a deal and get over it." He downed the contents of his glass with one gulp and noticed that Papyrus still hadn't moved. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and waved his hand. "Just go already before I change my mind!"

Papyrus furrowed his brow bone once again and took the money, shoving it down his pockets and mumbling a faint 'thanks' as he walked away, leaving Sans to drink by himself at the bar.

Papyrus hastily walked to the front desk he'd passed when he first entered the building. He'd paid the entry fee there and if his skills of deduction weren't too rusty, he'd figured that's where he'd have to pay for 'other' things as well. Once he reached the desk, he recognized the clerk from before, but now with the situation more clear to him, he noticed that the small spider girl looked too young to be at a place like this. He shoved what was left of his morals to the back of his head and cleared his throat, calling the attention of the young girl behind the desk who seemed to be filing her nails. She seemed bored until she noticed Papyrus in front of her, which seemed to spark something in her eyes. She smiled, what she probably thought was a heartwarming smile, but in turn came off devilish and creepy. "How can I help you?" Her high pitched voice matched her physique and smile, sending shivers up Papyrus' spine.

"I uh... I'd like", the skeleton took a quick deep breath. "An escort... ", he said lowly, afraid that someone else might hear him.

"Oh?" The girl's smile seemed to grow wider and Papyrus could see her large canines poke out. "Do you have one in mind or will anyone do?" She asked.

"M-Mettaton... " Papyrus replied.

"Ah, excellent choice! But... ", she paused. "Do you have the cash?"

Papyrus reached into his pockets and took out all the money Sans had given him, dumping it all on the desk. The girl gathered the money with all of her six arms and began counting. "Yes, this will do", she relied gleefully, then stashed the cash below the desk in what Papyrus assumed to be a money box, given the metal sound. She opened a notebook that was on the desk, a schedule of sorts by the looks of it, and her five eyes scanned the page then turned to Papyrus. "There is an opening tomorrow between 8pm and 9pm."

"Tomorrow? No, it has to be today!" Papyrus frowned and not so gingerly placed his hands on the desk.

However the young girl didn't seem intimidated. "Do you want the appointment or not?" She narrowed her eyes and stared down the skeleton, her wicked smile gone and the pitch of her voice lowered.

Papyrus stared back and clicked his tongue. "Fine... I'll take it", he bitterly muttered.

The girl seemed to slip back into her cheerful self and smiled. "Wonderful! What is your name, mister?"

"Papyrus."

The girl wrote down something on the notebook and closed it, setting it back down on the desk. "You're all set Papyrus, remember to be here tomorrow at 8pm as there are no refunds or rescheduling. We'll be waiting for you eagerly!"

Papyrus huffed and turned around, throwing the door of the establishment open and walking out as the girl behind him giggled and waved at him.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The night was not kind to Papyrus as he tossed and turned on his bed, unable to get the image of the dancer out of his head. He had heard Sans stumble into their small apartment some time around midnight and the shorter skeleton seemed to instantly fall asleep the minute he hit his bed. However Papyrus still lay awake, picturing Mettaton's supple moves and beautiful skin, he wondered how it would feel against his hand, but more importantly he wondered what he would say to him in the first place. He grew more and more nervous as he wracked his brain, trying to think of what he will say when the time came. He contemplated telling the dancer about what he felt for him, but given that they were both still strangers to each other he decided against it, not wanting to scare him off or make a bad first impression.

He sighed as he ran his hands down his face. Oh how he wanted Mettaton to like him. How he wanted to wrap his arms around the robot and feel him. How he wanted to stare into his eyes and taste his lips.

He groaned as he felt a familiar tightness in his trousers, one that he often ignores. To be given into one's desires was weak and pitiful in Papyrus' eyes. So what was he doing? Spending their money on things like this, instead of using it to buy food, supplies, equipment. How was he so entranced by a single dancer to the point of spending all their money for the week. How irresponsible of him. How pitiful. He'd have to go on another job with Sans just so they could have food on the table for the next few days. Usually they kept their raids to a minimum, not wanting to attract to much attention to themselves. They stole from businesses, banks and if they felt really lucky, they'd sometimes break into wealthy people's homes and take anything like rare artwork, expensive jewelry and of course cash. Luckily they hadn't been caught so far, mostly because they didn't tend to push their luck too much. But now they'd have to go out again and risk getting caught since they'd just pull off a job not long ago.

Papyrus cursed at himself. He promised himself that this was just a one time thing. Sans was probably right, once he'd meet Mettaton he'll get over it and go back to being the cool headed skeleton everyone knew him to be. He huffed with new found determination and shifted on his bed, closing his eyes and finally finding sleep. That's exactly what he would do.

\-----

The next morning Papyrus awoke early as per usual. He made breakfast for himself and for his brother, who was still presumably sleeping away his hangover. After he was done eating, he put away Sans' food for him to find once he woke up, then headed out into the city. Once in a while the skeleton brothers took on odd jobs and today he was determined to find one that would at least allow them to afford dinner for the next few days. It ranged from body guarding to transporting goods and pretty much anything else that would pay.

He ventured out into the city and went around his usual circles until he found a small job transporting some goods. Half of the time he never even knew what he was transporting, it wasn't his job to ask. He just strapped it to the back of his motorcycle and went off, accomplishing his job without a hitch and earning just enough money to feed them for at least three days if they really stretched it out.

When he arrived back at the apartment he threw open the front door, groceries in hand. He heard a small groan coming from the beat up couch that lay in the middle of the room. "Sans! Are you still lazing around?! What have you even done while I was away?!" He huffed and stomped over to his brother, yanking away the blanket that was around Sans' head, probably filtering out the light.

Sans groaned louder and curled himself on the couch. "Can you just shut the fuck up for once?"

"Pathetic", Papyrus spat out and threw the blanket back on Sans as he made his way over to their little makeshift kitchen.

Sans ignored the jab and sat up on the couch, turning his skull towards his brother. "Hey, so how did it go last night?"

Last night? He must've meant Mettaton. " ...My appointment is for today." Papyrus replied as he put away the canned goods on the overhead counters.

"Ooh", Sans sounded slightly amused. "You excited?" He grinned as he stared at his brother's back, knowing full well how flushed Papyrus' skull must be right now.

However Papyrus didn't grace him with an answer, he knew all Sans wanted was to poke fun at him. "I'm going to get ready, my appointment is soon." He ignored the 'aw come on' response that he got from his brother as he disappeared into the bathroom.

\-----

The streets were dimly lit and cold. Monsters of all sorts littered outside of establishments, some drunk, some offering great deals. Papyrus knew better than to judge a book by its cover at this point. If Grillby's was not what he had expected, then these other businesses were probably worse off. He steered clear of them, stopping only outside one of the buildings and going inside. Warm and cheery, just like yesterday. Except today he was here on different business. He approached the front desk, the same girl still there, she seemed to recognize him as she broke a wicked grin when she saw him, or perhaps that's how she greeted all customers.

"Ah yes, I remember you, the handsome one", she giggled, not giving Papyrus a chance to ask questions. "Right on time. Mettaton should be ready to receive you, just go down the hall beside the stage and you'll find yourself facing many doors. Just look for the one with Mettaton's name and go right in." She explained and Papyrus nodded as he went ahead, trying to ignore the knowing look she gave him and the high pitched 'enjoy~' she almost yelled.

Just as she had said, he went through a hall right beside the stage, it was dark and he could faintly still hear the music coming from the main room where the bar and stage was. Once he reached the end of the hall he was presented with another one, except this one had doors on both walls. Each door had a different name and above each door was a red light, some on and some not. He quickly realized what they meant as he heard muffled moans coming from a door with the red light on. He felt his face heat up as he hurried to find Mettaton's door, relieved when the light above was not on. He stood outside it and hesitated. Should he knock? The girl at the counter said to just go in, but he didn't want to be rude.

This was ridiculous, he only had one hour with Mettaton and he was wasting the minutes away outside his door trying to decide wether to knock or not. He lifted up a leather gloved hand and knocked. A muffled 'come in' sounded from the other side and he took a deep breath, steadying himself before he grabbed the knob and opened the door. The room was fairly small and dimly lit, tinted mostly red. There was a bed in the center and many personal effects lying around the room, most seemed like clothing articles and beauty products.

"Oh." A smooth voice caught Papyrus' attention and he noticed a figure sitting at a vanity table that was pushed up against the corner. "A customer that's actually right on time", he sounded amused and Papyrus made the mistake of making eye contact. He could feel his very soul being pulled away from his body when he looked into Mettaton's eyes. "You must really want your money's worth", the robot finished and smiled.

Papyrus' mouth hung open as he stood still by the door, his hand still on the knob. It was Mettaton. He was in the same room as him. He was addressing him. And Papyrus couldn't even form words in his head.

"Are you going to come in?" Mettaton innocently asked, smile still in place after seeing the skeleton's reaction to him.

Papyrus simply nodded softly and finally closed his mouth. He stepped in and closed the door behind him, but he didn't stray far from it. Instead he kept watching Mettaton as he got up from his chair and removed a few pins from his hair, his dark locks falling beautifully against his face and neck. "Sorry about the mess", he added. "I'm lucky you even caught me presentable", he winked at Papyrus and at this point the skeleton wanted to die of embarrassment. Mettaton noticed how tense the other was and strode towards him, heels clicking on the floor which seemed to intimidate the skeleton further. "Don't be nervous, darling", Mettaton took Papyrus's hand on his own and led him towards the bed. Papyrus followed as if on auto pilot, his eyes never leaving the robot's alluring face as he was sat on the bed. Mettaton pulled up his sheer night robe, slowly climbing onto the incredibly nervous skeleton's lap until he straddled him. "Is this your first time?" The robot gently asked, afraid that if he was too loud he'd scare away his customer. However Papyrus didn't reply, at least not coherently. Mettaton's soft laugh filled he air and it was then that the skeleton decided that it was the most beautiful sound in the world. "What's your name?" Mettaton asked again, his voice still low and sultry.

Papyrus swallowed hard and took a deep breath before answering. "P-Papyrus... "

"So you can talk after all", Mettaton replied with a soft giggle. "Well then Papyrus, no need to be shy with me", he took the skeleton's uselessly limp hands and set them on his thighs, encouraging Papyrus to feel him.

Papyrus glanced down to where his hands were and almost blew a fuse. Mettaton's legs were spread lewdly over his crotch area, sheer thigh high stockings adorned the robot's legs, they were held up by garter belts connected to the corset around his torso, thankfully concealing the other's chest this time, unlike his performance outfit which was far too revealing. Papyrus trailed up his hands on instinct, cursing his leather gloves for not letting him feel the real thing, and stopped as he leached the robot's lacy underwear. Mettaton leaned in to the side of Papyrus' skull and whispered hotly. "Do you want these off?"

"Oh God!" Papyrus quickly retrieved his hands and abruptly stood up, causing the robot to fall back on his bottom on the floor with a loud thud and a groan. Papyrus gasped and bent down, making sure that Mettaton had not been hurt. "A-Are you alright?! I'm sorry! I didn't-"

He was cut off by the sound of Mettaton's laughter and he backed away confused and afraid that he had damaged the robot in some way. "Oh darling, you are just so adorable." Instead of being angry, Mettaton positively beamed at him, Papyrus though he'd go blind by such beauty. He gently took Mettaton's hand and helped him up. They sat back on the bed, though thankfully, this time it was just next to each other.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Papyrus asked, a concerned look on his face.

Mettaton laughed shortly under his breath and shook his head. "I'm fine."

Papyrus sighed in relief and relaxed. "Thank goodness... " he smiled then felt Mettaton shift awkwardly in his spot and look up at him expectantly. Papyrus' smile faltered away and he grew nervous all over. "Uh... w-would you like to talk?"

"Talk?" Mettaton furrowed his brows, being taken off guard by such an odd request. "You... do know how much you paid for this 'talk', right?"

"Y-Yes!" Papyrus cleared his throat and calmed himself. "Yes... that's fine. I really just wanted to meet you... and talk to you."

Mettaton seemed taken aback, but whatever the customer wanted to do with their time was their business. He got more comfortable on the bed and turned his body so that it was facing Papyrus'. "Ok then... We can talk instead."

Papyrus seemed to relax at that, happy that he wasn't thrown out or creeped out Mettaton. He turned his body towards him, just as the robot had done and stared at Mettaton's expecting face. "Tell me about yourself."

Mettaton had almost laughed at that if he hadn't been so shocked. It was the first time a customer had ever asked him something like that. He wondered to himself if perhaps this was some sort of joke, but the honest look on Papyrus' face told him that he was serious. "Um, ok then... well my name is Mettaton, but you already probably knew that", he smiled and Papyrus nodded in response. "I like to dance and sing... I entertain guests.... um, there's not much else to say about me really." Mettaton laughed forcedly.

"I don't believe that, I'm sure there are many more amazing things about you." Papyrus spoke so passionately and with such honesty that it made Mettaton's fake smile fade away. It made him wonder why the stranger was saying such kind words when they didn't even know each other. "Mettaton... " Papyrus looked into the other's eyes so sincerely. "You're beautiful and so incredibly talented... Why are you in a place like this?"

Mettaton stood up abruptly, an offended look painted on his face. "That is none of your concern", he hissed.

"I didn't mean to upset you!" Papyrus grabbed the robot's arm, afraid that he'd run away and he'd never see him again. "I just want to understand... " he slowly stood, towering over the other as he spoke with soft words. "You don't deserve this... You can't possibly be happy in a place like this... doing what you do."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you saying these things? What do you want?" Mettaton whispered as he stared back in bewilderment.

"I just... " Papyrus began explaining, but even he didn't fully understand why felt the way he did. He slowly let go of Mettaton and sat back down on the bed. "I'm sorry I asked something so personal. You don't even know me. But please... let's go back to talking. I promise I won't ask you any more questions like that. Y-You don't even have to talk at all, you can just listen to me if you'd like."

Mettaton stared at him for a few seconds, seeming to consider his offer until he eventually sat back down beside the skeleton. He remained quiet as Papyrus began to talk about himself, about what he did for money, where he lived and what his hobbies were. He mentioned his precious pride and joy motorcycle and his lazy good for nothing brother, which caused Mettaton to giggle as he remembered the ill tempered short skeleton who smelled heavily of alcohol. Mettaton remembered him to be fun despite his bad manners. Papyrus went on to talk about the day before, when he first saw Mettaton. He praised him for his excellent dancing skills and stage presence. Mettaton seemed pleased at that and it made Papyrus feel happy. The robot grew more comfortable around him and before they knew it, both were lying on the bed, merely inches away from each other as Papyrus told him about one of his many raids. Mettaton was enthralled by the story, the skeleton lived a life of adventure, he was free and bold. Whereas Mettaton was locked away in a room that didn't even have windows, forced to entertain guests and behave like a puppet.

Papyrus noticed the sudden change in the robot's expression. One minute he was attentively listening to his adventures and then he seemed to avert his eyes and grow sad. The skeleton softly tugged off one of his gloves and raised his hand to gently caress the robot's face, his thumb brushing under Mettaton's eye and causing him to look up at Papyrus. "Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't wear an expression like that", the skeleton spoke up. "What's wrong?"

Mettaton parted his lips, words ready to spill out when a knock on the door was heard. He gasped and shot up. "What time is it?" He quickly went to his vanity table and rummaged through his belongings until he found a pocket watch and checked the time. "Shit... that's my next customer. You have to go Papyrus." He quickly fixed his hair on the mirror and reapplied a coat of lipstick.

Papyrus got off the bed with incredible grief and headed towards the door. He felt something tug on his arm and when he looked back, Mettaton was there looking up at him. "Will you come see me again?"

Papyrus felt the wind get knocked out of him. Mettaton wanted him to come back. He quickly nodded and he felt the grip on his arm loosen, then the robot gave him the most dazzling and genuine smile he'd ever seen. "Thank you... "

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

Papyrus kept to his word. He'd visit Mettaton every chance he could. He'd even started working harder and took on more jobs, with or without Sans. The jobs got riskier, but that usually meant a higher pay, so he didn't mind. Anything to see Mettaton again. Their talks stayed the same, Papyrus would regale Mettaton with tales of his newest adventures. He'd tell him about things that happened in the world outside since he learned that Mettaton was not allowed to go out. He often brought gifts, small and inexpensive, sometimes even stolen, but the robot always accepted them.

They'd grow closer each time, Papyrus being able to handle Mettaton's lingering touches a lot better now but still refusing to take things further, something the robot still didn't understand but respected.

Every time they parted he felt grief, knowing full well that the man on the other side of the door would not be as kind to Mettaton as he was. A different man each time and there was nothing he could do about it. It was brief, but every once in a while he could see it in Mettaton's eyes whenever that knock came. The same grief he feels. And if there was anything that Papyrus hated above all else, it was to see his beloved Mettaton with such sadness in his eyes. There wasn't a single thing he wouldn't do for him and he wanted Mettaton to understand that, but he was afraid. Afraid of rejection and afraid that he'd never get to see him again. It scared him more than anything.

"What's wrong? You're making a face."

Gentle hands around his face and a soft smooth voice brought him back. He gazed down at the beautiful creature in his arms and his heart fluttered in his chest. "I was just thinking... " Papyrus replied, shifting slightly on the bed.

"What about?" Mettaton pressed against him and Papyrus tightened his grip on the robot's waist.

"Nothing important. I shouldn't even be distracted when I have such lovely company next to me."

Mettaton giggled softly and lowered his hands down to Papyrus' chest, where he toyed curiously with the shapes of his ribs through the shirt. Papyrus tensed but allowed him to continue as he watched him carefully.

"You know... I wasn't always like this. Sometimes I wonder if you'd still like me if you really knew who I was", Mettaton's voice grew softer as he talked.

"What do you mean?" Papyrus asked.

"You know that I'm not.... organic." He paused and looked up at Papyrus to find some sort of reaction, but the other simply nodded and waited for him to continue. "This... body was built by an incredibly skilled scientist. It was commissioned actually... for this place, for the tasks I do. But it lacked something... it lacked life."

Papyrus didn't talk and instead listened carefully to the story, trying to make sense of it.

"Before I even knew of this body, I met a man. And I fell desperately in love with him", Mettaton scoffed softly, now feeling incredibly foolish. Papyrus frowned slightly and his fingers twitched against the soft silicone of Mettaton's waist.

"He promised me so many things. He said that I would be a star, that I would be happy, he said that... he loved me." He smiled sadly. "I was so blinded. I failed to see that I was selling my soul to the devil. He asked me to inhabit this body, to fuse with it. I gladly accepted of course... it was beautiful after all and I well... I was just a simple ghost." Tears blurred his vision until they fell down his cheeks. "Do you still like me? Even now knowing that this... isn't the real me?"

Papyrus waited for Mettaton to finish until he reached up and gingerly brushed away the wetness from his cheeks. "This is the real you. It's the you that's in front of me. It's the you that you are right now... It's the you that I fell in love with. And nothing will ever change what I feel about you."

Mettaton gasped softly as a fresh wave of heavy tears made their way out. He buried himself in Papyrus' chest and cried until his eyes ran dry. He could feel bony fingers running through his hair and a hand at his back rubbing soothing circles.

"I love you", the skeleton whispered over and over again. "I love you so much."

Mettaton shuddered against Papyrus, his tears eventually stopped and he tilted his head up to look at the other. "Do you really?" He asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"More than anything." Papyrus replied, cupping Mettaton's face as the robot leaned up and gently placed his lips against Papyrus' mouth. The kiss was short lived but sweet and nothing made Papyrus happier. But still, he wondered if Mettaton's heart was finally his. "Who was he? The man you loved." He felt a pang of jealousy by the mere thought of it.

"His name is Grillby, he's owns this place and me along with it." Mettaton replied bitterly.

"Do you still.... "

"Do I still what? Love him?" Mettaton frowned and moved away from Papyrus. "How could you think I'd love someone that puts me through hell every day?"

"I'm sorry, of course you wouldn't. It was stupid of me to ask." Papyrus pulled him back into his arms. "Forgive me."

Mettaton sighed softly and laid his head against the other's chest. "There's nothing I want more than to see him dead... ", he muttered under his breath.

Papyrus tightened his grip on the robot and they spent the rest of their time together tangled around bed sheets and murmuring loving words to each other.

\-----

The tall skeleton arrived back at his home expecting his older brother to be in bed already or at least passed out drunk on the couch. But instead it seemed like Sans had been waiting up for Papyrus to arrive.

Papyrus was surprised but thought nothing of it as he strode past his brother, wanting to curl into his bed and dream of Mettaton. Sans however had other plans.

"You just came back from Grillby's huh? You've been going there a lot lately but I don't see you at the bar", Sans frowned as he watched his brother tiredly remove his heavy boots and jacket. "You were only supposed to book Mettaton once. How many times has it been already? Do you know how much that's costing us?!"

Papyrus slammed his hand on the bedside table and turned to his brother, his eyes furiously glaring at him. "Since when do you care where all our money goes?! All you do is spend it on alcohol! Besides, I'm the one sticking out my neck on all our jobs, you're not obligated to come!"

"Hey! You're supposed to be the level headed one, the responsible one! And you're spending all our money on a whore that I bet you're not even fucking!" Sans yelled.

Papyrus was fuming with anger as he launched himself at his brother and punched his jaw. Both tangled each other into a mess of punches and kicks, their blows turning more violent as their anger grew. Sans grabbed Papyrus' shirt and threw him against the ground, seconds later he was on him, throwing blind punches and hoping that one would land. Sans was heavier and stronger than his brother, so it was no surprise that when it came to sheer strength and muscle he could over power Papyrus.

"Why can't you see that he's playing you?!" Sans shouted in between punches. "He's using you! He just wants your money and he knows you'll keep coming back if he just gives you hope!" His fists came to a halt when he felt Papyrus stop resisting beneath him. "He doesn't love you!!"

Papyrus stared up at his brother, too beat up and tired to fight anymore. "You're wrong... " he panted. " ...You're wrong about him."

"Then you're dumber than I thought... " Sans gritted out angrily and got off his brother, giving him one last kick to the ribs as he walked out of their small apartment.

\-----

Sans stomped over to Grillby's with only one thing in his head. He wanted to give a piece of his mind to Mettaton. It was one thing if Sans picked on and belittled his brother but if anyone else toyed with him there would surely be hell to pay. It was so obvious to him that the escort was just using him for money, murmuring sweet words to keep him coming back for more and poor Papyrus had helplessly fallen into the trap. Well Sans was determined to put a stop to it.

He entered the building and spotted the spider girl at the front desk counting what he presumed to be today's earnings. She glanced up at him, quickly recognizing him and smiled widely. "Sans, what brings you here at this hour? You know we're closing up, right?"

"Hey Muffet", Sans greeted as he rested his elbow on the desk and grinned back. "I uh, kinda left something at the bar earlier today. Mind if I go in and look for it?"

"Hm, I don't know... I'm not supposed to let anyone go through. Grillby might get mad."

"Aw, come on sweet cheeks, I'll be in and out in a flash." If Sans was confident on anything, it was definitely his charming skills. And maybe his puns.

Muffet seemed to melt at the nickname and giggled, bringing up a hand to cover her grin. "Oh alright, but be quick, ok?"

Sans winked at her and went ahead into the main room. There were a few staff members around, two employees were at the bar chatting away while the others wiped down tables and swept the floors. He avoided making eye contact with any of them and hoped that none of the monsters noticed him as he slipped past them and headed towards the hallway next to the stage. Having been to Grillby's so many times, Sans knew his way around pretty well, but most importantly, he knew how to get around anywhere without getting caught.

He turned to the other hallway and quickly headed to Mettaton's door. He entered the room without bothering to knock, which alarmed the robot that was currently removing today's makeup.

Mettaton gasped and quickly stood from his vanity, turning to see the intruder, but relaxed once he noticed the familiar face. Still, he felt slightly irritated and even more so confused. "What are you doing? Customers are not allowed back here without an appointment."

"I don't need an appointment to threaten you". Sans hastily strode over to Mettaton, who seemed to be intimidated enough to step back until he bumped with the table behind him, causing a few perfume bottles to clank. His breath hitched when he felt the slightly shorter monster press onto him and corner him. "You're gonna stop whatever it is that you have with my brother", Sans growled out. "He's not your personal cash cow, got it?!"

Mettaton flinched when Sans raised his voice, his eyes widening in fear and anger. Still he chose his words carefully since he didn't want to further infuriate the skeleton. He didn't know what Sans was capable of and he was wary of that. "Well... that's not really up to me, is it?" His voice wavered ever so slightly.

"Bullshit! I know what you're doing! You know that he's in love with you, so you're taking advantage of him!"

"I'm not!" Mettaton shoved Sans off him and moved to the center of the room, where he couldn't get cornered. "I know you must think low of me but I would never do that to Papyrus!"

Sans glared at him but didn't move.

"Mettaton, you alright?" A voice interrupted them and when Sans glanced over at the door he noticed a female cat monster standing there, he recognized her as one of the prostitutes that worked here. She warily glanced between Sans and Mettaton, trying to get a read of the situation. "I heard yelling... ", she simply stated.

Mettaton looked at Sans, who seemed to have calmed down thanks to the interruption and decided not to further draw any more attention to themselves. "Everything's fine, Catty", he assured her. "I was only having a chat with this gentleman that was just leaving."

Sans glanced back at Mettaton and frowned irritably. He made his way towards the door but stopped by Mettaton, who no matter how close the skeleton got, stood his ground and remained still. Sans leaned in and whispered just loud enough for only Mettaton to hear. "You break his heart and I'll break your pretty little face. Along with the rest of you."

Mettaton shivered slightly at the threat and watched Sans walk past Catty and out the room. The robot let out a shaky breath and stumbled back into his bed, earning a concerned look from his friend. Catty walked towards Mettaton and looked him over, making sure that he hadn't been hurt. She was used to dealing with aggressive customers and knew the signs well. "You ok there tough guy?"

Mettaton merely nodded as he tried to get his nerves under control after what just happened. Catty placed her hand on his shoulder and didn't prod any further. She was aware that every employee here had their own fair share of shady dealings, and she wasn't about to get involved into anyone's messy business. Still, she'd be there ready to console any of her fellow co-workers.  

 


End file.
